Are you reloading the "new" Winchester AA in 12 gauge?
I've tried reloading the 2.75" target load hulls, but my Claybuster AA clone wads hang up on the ridge near the bottom of the hull and usually ruin it. What wads are you using for these hulls?
Regards, George

Give this link a try:

http://shop2.mailordercentral.com/bpicart/prodinfo.asp?number=AABW12

BPI can solve your problem.

I still havaa ton of the oldAAs. And dont use the new ones. I switched to remington hulls.

I had someone tell me that the Rem. STS hulls are made like the old AA hulls used to be. That the AA hulls are now just 'extruded' plastic with a base wad of some sort.

Anyone know if that's right?

Bbear, 'fraid so. Separate plastic basewad.

As for loading the AA, try increasing the wad pressure, and lowering the crimp starter to where the opening is smaller than a pencil eraser.

The new AA's load fine. I have, however, reseated about a half-dozen basewads in my MEC primer station. I look down the barrel after each shot if I load them. As many Remingtons as there are on the ground at the range, I don't need to load them very badly.... FWIW, Dutch.

Dutch, which Remington hulls are laying around your club grounds? The STS, or Premier, or Nitro hulls are superb hulls compared to the green "gun club" hulls. Tough, long lived, lots of load data, compression formed. I have lots of the old style compression formed AA's as well, and will not buy the new HS AA just because of that separate basewad issue. In my opinion, the current king o' the hill is the Rem. STS.

284 win, I agree with your assessment thru 20 gauge. In the 28 and 410 the Winchester AAHS is a much better hull.

I think he gun club target loads in 20 are just as good as the STS hulls. I have about 2000 of each and they seem to have the same life span.

quote:

Originally posted by Customstox:

I think he gun club target loads in 20 [and I'd also add 12 ga.] are just as good as the STS hulls.

I agree with that opinion.

I also agree with those who don't like the new Winchester AA hulls. They are a big step backward for Winchester.

I think that the new Remington hulls are actually superior to the old Winchester AA ones.

I've loaded Federal hulls and I don't like them. But if that's all you can get, they do work OK. The 12 ga. Federal hull has different internal dimensions, so AA wads or AA clones do not work well in them -- you will do better with a wad designed specifically for the Federal hull.

In 12 ga., old Winchester AA hulls and all the Remington Target hulls are interchangeable -- you can use the same wads and charges in any of them. Not so, as I wrote above, for Federal target hulls.

ok im new at reloading, so tell me what is the difference between the new and old AA hulls. I've got about 1000 hulls that were in the house i bought (mixture of grey handicaps, skeet, trap and heavy) i also just bought a case of light target loads. i cant tell the difference, can someone enlighten me please?

smoke_eater,
The old hulls were a one piece hull and the new ones have a separate base wad. The wad has at times come loose and lodged itself down the barrel with disastrous results. Not a real common occurence but one that has driven away a lot of confirmed AA reloaders. Most have gone to Rem STS, Nitro golds etc.

thanks, ill have to have a closer look once i've fired some of the new ones

There's a good pic of the differences in the hulls here ===> http://www.shotgunworld.com/bbs/viewtopic.php?t=68326

thanks the pictures cleared everything up for me!

After giving this some thought before hand and after looking at the pictures I must ask: How does the base wad come out of the hull to lodge in the barrel? It doesn't seem possible since the burning powder is exerting pressure rearwards as the shot is expelled frontwards. AA hulls are the only hulls that I can fire in my Red Label as any other hull will stick in the chanmber and has to be forced out with a cleaning rod. Having said that I shoot alot of AA shells and have never had a problem with them. Has anyone actually seen a basewad stuck in a barrel? Thanks for any replies, Karl.

quote:

AA hulls are the only hulls that I can fire in my Red Label as any other hull will stick in the chanmber and has to be forced out with a cleaning rod.

I believe that the new STS and Nitro hulls are the slickest ones I have ever used, maybe you need to polish your chambers.

Karl, I know a guy who has a collection of them and has found them somewhat forward of the trap house at gun clubs. It is not a common occurence and it baffles me how it happens but it obviously does.

Of course you may know the story about the guy who has a dog that can climb trees. If you don't believe him, he will show you the tree.

Worriedman, thanks for the reply. I've tried STS and nitro hulls and they both stick in the chamber. I can't imagine the plastic causing these shells to stick so tight that I can punch the primer out with a cleaning rod and not move the hull. It has to have something to do with the brass. I hate to do anything to the gun because it shoots so well. I'll just stay with the AA hulls. I have plenty of them and get more all the time.

Customstox, It seems to me if the base wads are getting past the traphouse they have quite abit of force behind them, so the problem of one getting stuck in the chamber or barrel doesn't make alot of sense. I check all my hulls before reloading and have never seen a missing base wad. Not trying to say it doesn't happen, Just curious how it can. Thanks.

quote:

Karl, I know a guy who has a collection of them and has found them somewhat forward of the trap house at gun clubs. It is not a common occurence and it baffles me how it happens but it obviously does.

Customox,

If that baffles you, what do you think about the entire hull coming out .

Went duck hunting in the snow one winter and it was a miserable cold hunt w/ very little activity. Well just before shooting hours was over we had a group of ducks come in and my gun fired one time and I couldn't move the pump (Ice all over the gun), well, when I did open it nothing but the high brass came out and into the bottom of the boat

My buddy and I quickly concluded that the entire hull had launched similar to a "ringed shell" as some used to refer to it. I attributed it to the cold conditions and the posibility of ice on the crimp .

I thought it to be very rare and then I heard a couple other guys say they had heard of it happening as well.

I can see it happening if the crimp doesn't let go sort of like a "ringed shell."

Luckily I had a Imp Cyl in.

Federal load by the way.

Reloader

I've reloaded new and old style AAs for about 5 years now. Easily 25,000 reloads of various AAs and never once has a base wad come loose in one of my guns. Used Clays, Unique, International, 700-X and Red Dot powders. Used WAA12 and Blue Duster wads. Fiocchi, Remington and Winchester primers. Never a problem once.

I've always used MEC reloaders and as part of the prime, any loose base wad would be reseated in the hull. Does it happen, I'm sure it does. Does it happen a lot? I think you have a better chance of getting hit by lightening then getting a basewad stuck in your barrel.

That being said, I think the Remington hulls are great. STS, Nitro and Gun Club all reload very easily and will last a LONG time.

Good luck with your reloading and welcome back to the fun.